Attorney: Officers justified in shooting knife-wielding man

Updated: Mar 15, 2019 - 12:31 PM

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Attorney: Officers justified in shooting knife-wielding man

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) - Eight officers were justified in their use of deadly force when they opened fire on a knife-wielding man who was suspected of attacking three women in Muskogee, a prosecutor said.

Muskogee County District Attorney Orvil Loge said each responding officer tried to defuse the situation to prevent a fatal encounter and that 56-year-old Danny Brogdon was determined to die, the Muskogee Phoenix reported. The officers have been on administrative leave since the March 5 attack.

"Every attempt to negotiate a peaceful surrender was met with statements of demise," Loge said in a news release. "Brogdon was a direct, immediate, and legal threat. Each officer fired their weapon legally upon Danny Brogdon."

Brogdon was shot and killed at a Muskogee residence after he stabbed two women and attacked a third, then threatened officers with a large kitchen knife, police said. Officers used a stun gun, a flashbang grenade and a beanbag to try to disarm Brogdon before he charged at them. The officers opened fire.

All three women - Debra Smith and her daughters Kimberly Robbins and Jennifer Dodd - survived the assault, though Smith and Robbins both suffered stab wounds and were admitted to a hospital. Brogdon told police at the scene that Smith was his wife.

Donald Seeley, Brogdon's co-worker, informed investigators that Brogdon was noticeably upset on the day of the attack, saying Smith had cleared the money from their bank account.

"He was determined that day to cause a lot of damage and I think kill Debra Smith," Loge said. "As soon as officers arrived and confronted him, I think that saved her life. I think he was determined at that point to make the officers shoot him."

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Information from: Muskogee Phoenix, http://www.muskogeephoenix.com

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